Guardians pull off one of baseball’s wildest turnarounds, erasing a 10-game skid to clinch a playoff berth on a walk-off hit-by-pitch from C.J. Kayfus that scored Petey Halpin. The moment capped a September surge that vaulted Cleveland into the postseason in improbable fashion.

Kwan and Ramírez anchored the offense; Rodríguez supplied a timely homer after a recall. Vogt’s steady leadership kept the team focused through distractions around Clase and Ortiz, setting up a home Wild Card Series as Cleveland completes one of the sport’s most dramatic comebacks.

The Guardians climbed from a towering September deficit to seal a postseason berth in dramatic fashion: a bases-loaded walk-off hit-by-pitch vs Texas capped a small-ball, pitching-driven comeback. With Houston’s loss and late-season momentum, Cleveland eyes the AL Central title and a home wild-card tilt, drawing on depth and opportunistic offense as key to their run.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are on nondisciplinary paid leave as MLB investigates possible gambling in games they pitched. The extension is open-ended and could stretch beyond the season, complicating Cleveland's late-season save outlook and fantasy planning. Cade Smith has stepped in as closer, shifting the Guardians' bullpen dynamics while they chase a playoff spot. The case echoes MLB's broader crackdown, highlighted by Tucupita Marcano's Padres ban in June 2024.

The unfolding story keeps fantasy managers alert to bullpen volatility and the risk of sudden role changes as the season winds down.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians were placed on nondisciplinary paid leave as MLB and the players association investigate gambling activity tied to Ortiz’s pitches in two June games. Unusual betting focused on Ortiz’s first-pitch outcomes, with first-pitch sliders well outside the zone in both contests versus Seattle and St. Louis. IC360 flagged the activity; the Ohio Casino Control Commission is assisting the probe. Guardians sit three games out of the AL wild-card chase as the leaves extend.

Fantasy angles center on bullpen depth and late-inning leverage while the investigation unfolds. Until clarity arrives, closers and setup men will carry added volatility, potentially shifting save opportunities and usage patterns for the Guardians bullpen and impacting daily fantasy and season-long plans.